Shady! Did #RHONJ Storyline Lead to Joe Gorga’s Restaurant Closing? (Exclusive)

Melissa Gorga recently spoke out about the sudden closing of her husband’s restaurant after opening less than a year ago. 

Gorga’s Homemade Pasta & Pizza, the restaurant claimed to be owned and operated by Joe Gorga, with help from his Bravoleb wife, Melissa Gorga, and sister, Teresa Giudice, will soon shut its doors in East Hanover, New Jersey. Melissa cites “management issues” and a “small location,” as the reasons for the closing.

“I can speak about it mildly because it’s a major situation unfortunately,” she said during an appearance on The Morning Breath show on Wednesday. “I will admit one thing: We are overwhelmed with the amount of people that are going. We had no idea it was going to be as busy as it is; that’s first of all.”

“Second of all, yes, there are partners, obviously, that we’ve gone into it with,” she added, later elaborating: “We were having issues with the management and the way they were running it. There were a couple shady things going on.”

However, a source tells AllAboutTheTea.com that the Gorga’s abrupt departure from Gorga’s Homemade Pasta & Pizza has nothing to do with shady management.

“He [Joe Gorga] knew the owner [Ricci]. The owner was struggling with the restaurant, and Joe made a deal with the owner to slap his name on the business — with the promise that the restaurant would get free publicity [on RHONJ] and its rent paid.” A source tells AllAboutTheTea.com exclusively.

Reportedly, Joe was only seen at the Italian eatery during filming of the Bravo reality series.

“He [Joe Gorga] was never at the restaurant. He would come by from time to time…rarely but not everyday.” another source reveals to AllAboutTheTea.com. “He was only here while they were filming that show [RHONJ].” 

On The Real Housewives of New Jersey, the Gorga’s “family business” was promoted as a tribute to Joe and Teresa’s mother, Antonia, who passed away in March. However, a show insider reveals,

“The restaurant opening was a storyline.” The source adds, “And their dead mother was exploited in the process.”

But according to Melissa Gorga this isn’t the end of the road for the family’s restaurant endeavors.

“We’re moving to a new location. The Gorga’s that is [there] right now, we just pulled the sign off the top yesterday,” The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 38, said during a Wednesday, January 10, interview on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen of Gorga’s Homemade Pasta & Pizza. “The line’s been out the door, honestly, since we opened it, to the point to needing new management.”

She cryptically added: “You’re gonna hear a lot more. Let’s just say that location is not ours.”

The eatery opened in May, and it’s launch was captured by Bravo cameras but alternate plans may have been in the works before filming ended. 

“It was planned that the deal with Ricci would end after the show aired…it was planned from the start.”

Tell us what you think. Was the Gorga’s restaurant business done for a storyline or was it the real deal? Sound off in the comments!

 

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